{"id":280275,"date":"2024-05-08T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:20:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:20:50","slug":"sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Does a &#8216;perfect mom&#8217; even exist? Many mothers compare themselves, burdened with unrealistic expectations. If you feel torn between high-fives and criticism, you&#8217;re not alone. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler, Co-Founders of the Risen Motherhood Podcast, help you understand and apply the gospel to common issues moms face so you can connect your Sunday morning faith to the Monday morning tantrum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you comparing yourself to other moms&#8217; social media? Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler offer gospel insights for moms&#8217; daily challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/9cdd18cb-8b26-4595-a1e8-b1620160fc52\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:29:55","filesize":"27.43M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2024-05-08 09:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2126],"podcast_series":[8756],"cwp_profile":[10886,9933],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-280275","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-risen-motherhood-book","podcast_series-sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jenson-laura-wifler","cwp_profile-emily-jensen","cwp_profile-laura-wifler","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/280275\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/280275\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RgmyFpnjLc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/\">Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/embed\/#?secret=RgmyFpnjLc\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"RgmyFpnjLc\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Are you comparing yourself to other moms' social media? Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler offer gospel insights for moms' daily challenges.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Connect with Emily Jenson &amp; Laura Wifler and catch more of their thoughts at <a href=\"https:\/\/emilyajensen.com\/\">emilyajensen.com<\/a> and listen to their podcast, <a href=\"https:\/\/emilyajensen.com\/podcast\">Risen Motherhood<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Connect with them on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/emilyajensen\/\">Instagram<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmilyAJens\">X<\/a> @EmilyAJens<\/li>\n<li>And grab Emily Jenson &amp; Laura Wifler\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/risen-motherhood-gospel-hope-for-everyday-moments\/\">Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments<\/a> by Emily Jensen &amp; Laura Wifler in our shop.<\/li>\n<li>Intrigued by today\u2019s episode? Think deeper about Motherhood by listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/soul-care-for-stressed-moms\/\">Soul Care for Stressed Moms<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/may-2024\/?cru_source=D0002405RB&amp;cru_medium=RadioBanner&amp;cru_premium=PRE21802&amp;cru_campaign=May2024&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=radiobanner&amp;utm_campaign=may2024\">Double your gift<\/a> this month when you give to FamilyLife!<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-05-08.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum<\/p>\n<p>Guests:Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum (Day 1 of 3)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:May 8, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Emily: God is calling every mom to her motherhood, to her family, to her husband; and that\u2019s going to look differently. You even see that now in Christian culture. Sometimes, a specific lifestyle or specific method is kind of held up as the one best way, the holiest way to mother. It looks so righteous; it looks so good; but \u201cwhat if I can\u2019t recreate that\u201d because someone\u2019s a single mom or they do have a child with disability? There are a myriad of reasons why that might not transfer to another mom\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com. This is FamilyLife Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Well, we\u2019re talking about motherhood today.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yay!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Where should I go back to? Should we go back to the hole in the wall when our kids were little toddlers? I don\u2019t know why that came to my mind! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: For those of you that haven\u2019t heard\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014we haven\u2019t talked about this in years.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Ohhhh.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And we don\u2019t need to talk about it. That was just a moment\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014a bad moment in parenting, when I kicked a hole in the wall out of my frustration with our three children.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes; and then she patched it up with\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014wallpaper.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014wallpaper, so that Pastor Dave, when he came in the house, wouldn\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It was not one of my finest moments.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And the boys ran right to it the second I walked in: \u201cLook at what Mom did. She\u2019s so strong!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u201cDad, you won\u2019t believe what Mom did today!\u201d You know what I remember about that moment?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: What?<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Feeling utter shame going to bed. I remember apologizing to the boys: \u201cGuys, I shouldn\u2019t have done that. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d But as a young mom and as an older mom, one of the things that we can carry is shame and guilt.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And it\u2019s a heavy thing to carry.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Well, today we\u2019re not talking about fallen motherhood.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That was sort of a fallen motherhood moment. We\u2019re talking about risen motherhood, and a lot of our listeners know these two women.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s pretty great, just because we have Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler with us today. You\u2019re a hero to many, [Laughter] especially young moms who are struggling. So, welcome to FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Oh, thank you for having us. It\u2019s a joy to be here.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, we are so excited to be here.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Tell us about your families and about what you do.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Sure. I\u2019m Emily, and I\u2019ve been married to my husband, Brad, for 14 years and we have five kids ranging in ages from 6 to 11. To do that math, you have to put a set of twins in there. That\u2019s how that worked.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You had five under five at one time.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes. My oldest turned five, and then, I went into labor the next day with our fifth, so it\u2019s really close in there.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Whoa!<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes. Those were some wild years that I\u2019m still looking back on and recovering from a little bit. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Unbelievable.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And you married Laura\u2019s brother.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, I\u2019m married to one of Laura\u2019s older brothers.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, you\u2019re sisters-in-law.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: We\u2019re family. Yes, we\u2019re sisters-in-law, which is so fun, and we get to work together, which is incredible. I\u2019m Laura Wifler, and I am married to Mike and have three kids. Emily and I live about a mile apart in central Iowa, so very close to one another, which is a joy. My kids range from ten to six, no twins. Math works perfectly. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Two of your boys, right now, are running around our studio somewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: That\u2019s right! It\u2019s so fun.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I\u2019m really curious what they\u2019re doing. They saw that Pop a Shot when they walked in, and\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014i\u2019s better not to know.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Snacks, pop, basketball. There\u2019s a Wii, maybe. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Going to Universal tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Incredible.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Life couldn\u2019t be better!<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Oh, they are living their best life.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Tell us about Risen Motherhood. We\u2019ve heard so much about it. It\u2019s impacting people all around the world, right?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: That\u2019s our understanding. Hard to believe, but yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So what was the vision for this?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: We launched Risen Motherhood in 2016. We had babies and toddlers at the time, and we really were having these conversations about how really mundane aspects of motherhood connected to Scripture, connected to the Gospel. Things like potty training\u2014does God care how I potty train? Or something like getting your kids to sleep through the night\u2014does it matter what method I use over another method? How am I supposed to be thinking about feeding my kids?<\/p>\n<p>Laura and I were having those types of conversations with each other, and we just knew a lot of friends who were having really similar conversations. I think at that time, it felt like there were a lot of practical tips for moms out there, and then there was a lot of theological truth, but there was a little bit of a disconnect happening. We really wanted to bridge that gap with some relatable conversations between two moms.<\/p>\n<p>So, I just messaged Laura one day and said, \u201cWhat if we just aired these conversations?\u201d And we started a podcast, and the whole thing kind of spun out of control from there, or into God\u2019s will. [Laughter] I don\u2019t know, but there you go.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, it\u2019s pretty incredible. I was a little bit reluctant at first, which is why I smile while she says that, but I\u2019m so glad she convinced me to do it. Through the years of motherhood, it started out as just a podcast, but it has since grown and now it has social media platforms, and articles, and free downloads, Bible studies, prayer resources.<\/p>\n<p>Everything we do we are able to offer for free, because we are a non-profit, which is such a joy. I know you guys share in that with us. So, it\u2019s been cool to see the ministry really grow, but also, at its heartbeat, we just want to create content that encourages moms and helps them connect that Sunday morning snotty nose to the Monday morning breakfast. I\u2019m sorry\u2014the Sunday morning sermon to the Monday morning snotty nose. That\u2019s what we say. There we go.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Snotty nose\u2014same thing.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: They probably had a snotty nose at church, and you took them anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: That\u2019s right; that\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Laura, what resonated with the moms? The practicality of it, and how do we bring God and Jesus and the gospel into that?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I think so. We were asking really, really practical questions. \u201cWhat do we think about breastfeeding?\u201d \u201cWhat do we think about diapers?\u201d \u201cWhat kind of diapers do we buy?\u201d Some of these questions, at the time\u2014a lot of mommy-bloggers and mommy-influencers at the time\u2014were really talking about these things, and just telling you, \u201cThis is what to do. Here\u2019s how to create snack time for your kids.\u201d \u201cHere\u2019s how to think about TV and media.\u201d \u201cHere\u2019s how to think about bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But at the time, there just weren\u2019t a lot of people weaving the gospel into it, and that was what Emily and I were asking. \u201cWell, if there\u2019s a best way, it\u2019s probably not because this mom-influencer told us. It\u2019s because Scripture has said something about that.\u201d But you\u2019re not going to find potty-training in Scripture. So, we started talking through how to apply the gospel to everyday life, how to think critically through God\u2019s Word about these things that we were really facing as moms.<\/p>\n<p>So, yes, I think that is what resonated; there weren\u2019t a lot of people talking in that way, and it was really one of those needs that moms all over the world were really asking. And it wasn\u2019t formulaic.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I think that was something\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Emily: \u2014we weren\u2019t saying, \u201cBuy Pampers.\u201d That wasn\u2019t the conclusion we came to.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Like \u201cIf you do this, this will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, and God is calling every mom to her motherhood, to her family, to her husband; and that\u2019s going to look differently. You even see that now in Christian culture. Sometimes, a specific lifestyle or specific method is kind of held up as the one best way, the holiest way to mother. It looks so righteous; it looks so good; but \u201cwhat if I can\u2019t recreate that\u201d because someone\u2019s a single mom or they do have a child with disability?<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a myriad of reasons why that might not transfer to another mom\u2019s life. Well, if you go back to the Bible and you\u2019re using these principles that are true for all people for all of time, and you\u2019re applying the wisdom of the Word of God to your situation, He\u2019s going to lead you in what that\u2019s going to look like.<\/p>\n<p>So, I think we also found that moms were really refreshed by this idea that it\u2019s not about fitting into the box of what my friend does, it\u2019s about following the Lord and asking for His wisdom in whatever life He\u2019s given me.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I remember going to my son and daughter-in-law\u2019s house, and your book, Risen Motherhood, was on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: This was years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes. Kendall said to me, \u201cHave you read this book?\u201d At the time, she had four kids. I guess she still has four kids. [Laughter] At the time those kids\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014but she doesn\u2019t have five or nine. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: But I think she had four kids under five, and she said, \u201cThis book is getting me through these hard, hard days.\u201d I think that right after that is when we called you two and said, \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to have you on.\u201d One of the things you talk about is, \u201cIf Christ really changes everything, how does He change potty-training?\u201d [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>I laughed when I read that. These are the things we think about when we\u2019re potty-training: \u201cDoes Jesus even care? Is this separate?\u201d So, in it\u2014this is the craziest thing\u2014you explain the gospel! [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Here\u2019s the thing\u2014I pick up\u2014how many mother\u2019s books have I read? But I read yours!<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Because I had to get ready for this interview. I\u2019m seeing in the title, \u201cGospel Hope,\u201d and I\u2019m thinking, \u201cHow are they going to bring the gospel in?\u201d You don\u2019t just bring it in. Every chapter\u2014because when I read the first chapter, you said, \u201cCreation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation,\u201d I\u2019m a pastor. I preach this.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I thought, \u201cOh, that\u2019s great. There\u2019s your theme, and here we\u2019re going to\u2014\u201d You never leave it!<\/p>\n<p>Laura: No. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You pick a topic and you go, \u201cNow how\u201d\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Emily: We have a drumbeat. We like it, and we just play it hard.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: So, I think it would be great for our listeners\u2014how would you explain that? Creation, fall, redemption, consummation?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: It\u2019s just a mnemonic device that helps us remember God\u2019s big story. So, when we think of the word \u201ccreation,\u201d we\u2019re just thinking about God\u2019s design for mankind. When we\u2019re thinking about the fall, we\u2019re remembering that sin and brokenness has touched everything; the curse has touched everything in life.<\/p>\n<p>And then we\u2019re thinking about redemption; we\u2019re remembering that piece of the gospel that says Jesus came, He lived a perfect life, He died, He rose. And now, if you\u2019re following Him, you get the Spirit, you get to be part of the church, right? There\u2019s hope. And then, when we talk about consummation, we\u2019re really looking ahead to what\u2019s coming, when Jesus returns, and all things are made new. There\u2019s perfect just judgment given.<\/p>\n<p>So, all of those pieces become like little anchors that when you\u2019re processing through a practical situation and you\u2019re wondering, \u201cYeah, what does potty training have to do with the gospel?\u201d you can start to go through those anchors in your mind, and that\u2019s how you can preach the gospel to yourself in that situation. And also know that it\u2019s part of a bigger story, right? This moment that you\u2019re experiencing is part of something that matters more.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Give us an example. Walk us through something in your life that you totally implemented\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014it could be potty training, but it could be anything. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Emily: It\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve done that.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I know. I\u2019m a little rusty on toilet training.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Maybe something that you\u2019re going through now.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, let me think. A lot of the stuff that we\u2019re looking at now is almost less practical as you move out of the young years, and so, I\u2019m thinking through media choices. That\u2019s something that I feel like even moms of really young children are thinking a lot about: media choices; but that continues on.<\/p>\n<p>I think as we think through the gospel, the mnemonic device\u2014and that\u2019s not original to us. We hope everybody realizes we don\u2019t claim to have invented it. Many people have used it, but it has been really handy for us and helpful. But when we think about things like media choices, this is where I have to start thinking.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Personally, you\u2019re saying? Or with your kids?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: With our kids, even.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: A question a lot of moms ask is, \u201cWhat can I show my children?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave and Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: It\u2019s good to know that God designed us to love good stories and to enjoy fun entertainment and things. I think, in and of itself, all that is good, true, and beautiful comes from God, and our hearts long for that. So, our kids wanting to watch a good story or be entertained or enjoy things\u2014that\u2019s great. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n<p>But then, you have to think about that \u201cfall\u201d piece. Well, not every media choice post-fall\u2014there\u2019s a lot of sin in there. There are things that are going to distort the truth. There are things that are not of God, and we want to be cautious about what we expose ourselves to, and what we\u2019re filling our minds and our hearts with. So, that redemptive piece is, if you\u2019re following Jesus, you want to love like Him, live like Him, [and] fill your mind with all that\u2019s good, true, and beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He prompts you and helps you know what is good and what is wrong to engage in. I think then, in looking at the hope of heaven, knowing that one day all media will be redeemed; all of those things. We know that someday we will go to heaven and it\u2019s not going to be\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014hear the best of all the stories.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, exactly! We\u2019re not going to have to cover our eyes. We\u2019re not going to have to monitor these things. That\u2019s just an incredible hope to look forward to. So, you can, I think, as we start to get the gospel under our skin, start to learn to think in this way. And it is a learned way of thinking.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I think that\u2019s key. It\u2019s not something we may naturally bend to, so you have to be very intentional in making it become a habit, almost like the neuroplasticity in our brains.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, that\u2019s awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: We\u2019re going down this certain path that we haven\u2019t gone many times, but we\u2019re going to make this become a habit. I can remember our kids being little, cleaning toilets with three little boys who were potty training.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You mean cleaning the wall, because they didn\u2019t hit the toilet. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Emily: They hit every area but the toilet.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I can remember thinking, \u201cI don\u2019t even see any good in this.\u201d I remember being in the Word later\u2014and even being in the Word is hard for young moms. Now, I would listen to it as a young mom, but I remember just catching moments:\u201cI have to be in the Word. It\u2019s my anchor.\u201d But I remember after\u2014I can\u2019t remember what I read, but I thought, \u201cThat can be my worship moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Laura: For sure.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: There\u2019s not a time He hasn\u2019t seen me wiping a bottom, wiping noses, cleaning the sink; all the things that I\u2019m doing, He notices that. I could either complain and grumble about it, or I can make it this worship experience: \u201cI get to do these things.\u201d My kids see my attitude about it. I just think that what you\u2019re doing is so stinking practical.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That\u2019s something you\u2019re being able to live out now, because you\u2019re in a phase with younger kids. They\u2019re running around our studio right now, [Laughter] and that\u2019s only one of each of yours. That\u2019s your oldest. When we walk into our daughters-in-law\u2019s houses, we remember. Now we\u2019re grandparents, but it\u2019s chaos. And you can see\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014and they\u2019re good moms.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: They\u2019re awesome.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Every home with littles is chaos.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Right, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: But they\u2019re exhausted, and they\u2019re frazzled, and you can feel the tension in the marriage, because it\u2019s a hard season of your life. So, talk about that for you two. You\u2019re leading a major ministry as well as being moms and writing about it. Is it hard?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: I think it\u2019s where the identity in Christ piece becomes so important, because I thinkm if our hope for our goodness before the throne of God is in how good we\u2019re doing as a mom, that\u2019s really discouraging, because we\u2019ve already talked about\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014shame.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: \u2014sometimes you kick a hole in the wall. Sometimes you yell. Sometimes you do things, and you realize that you\u2019re just unable, and you fall short, and you don\u2019t have what it takes to be the perfect wife and the perfect mom and the perfect homemaker and the perfect worker and the perfect friend. You\u2019re just not going to be all of those things.<\/p>\n<p>But in Christ, we are fully righteous before the throne of God, and we get to rest in that. And then, even Jesus wasn\u2019t in all places at all times, right? In His physical body, He was ministering to one person at a time, one group of people at a time, wherever God was leading Him that day.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: I think I took a lot of comfort in that idea that, yes, there are a lot of people that need me, there are a lot of areas where I\u2019m maybe not doing as much as I want to be doing, but I\u2019m following, hopefully, step by step, moment by moment what God is calling me to do that day. That\u2019s all I can do.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Is that the kind of thing that, when you go to bed, we have that choice of beating ourselves up, feeling the shame? The enemy is the accuser. So, how have you done that? I\u2019m sure that you guys have felt that. Laura, have you felt that when you\u2019ve gone to bed?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Absolutely. And I loved how you said that you have a choice, because I think that\u2019s the thing we forget\u2014that our heads hit the pillow and suddenly the narrative is playing that we have failed, that we have been a bad mom: \u201cHere are all the ways that we haven\u2019t done it right. Here are all the ways we\u2019re going to be better tomorrow.\u201d And I think that\u2019s the moment that we can just stop and say, \u201cHold on. I want to take control of every thought.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s good. Take it captive.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: That\u2019s right. And recognize that it\u2019s the battlefield of the mind, and that is where we can say, \u201cOkay, Lord. I wasn\u2019t perfect.\u201d I think it\u2019s important that we acknowledge that we probably did sin that day. There are probably some things\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: So, there\u2019s some confession going on.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Absolutely.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: There needs to be confession. It\u2019s not that we just say, \u201cOh, just grace, grace, grace, and just only that.\u201d But we recognize, \u201cOkay, these are ways I behaved that I don\u2019t want to behave anymore,\u201d and so, we confess that to the Lord. We ask His forgiveness, and then, from there, we can also look at all these other things that Satan is just heaping on, and that\u2019s that condemnation that is extra, that God hasn\u2019t placed there.<\/p>\n<p>We can ask, \u201cWell, Lord, is that something I should have done today?\u201d Maybe it\u2019s that we feel like, \u201cOh, man, I was supposed to go get these errands done,\u201d or \u201cI was supposed to make this incredible party, and I didn\u2019t get started planning this birthday party.\u201d Well, has God asked us to make big, huge birthday parties?<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s where knowing the gospel and understanding what\u2019s in the Bible is so important for a mom, because when we do the day replay, we have to remember what God is actually asking of us. So often, we\u2019re adding to the list of what a faithful mom looks like. I\u2019ll never forget, someone once said to us, \u201cI\u2019m so thankful that God hasn\u2019t asked me to be faithful in another mom\u2019s life,\u201d because that would be very, very hard.<\/p>\n<p>But we look at another mom\u2019s life, and we think, \u201cShe\u2019s being perfectly faithful. She\u2019s getting it all done. She\u2019s doing perfectly.\u201d And we look at ours and feel that we\u2019ve failed and not measured up. But He only asks us to be faithful in our own, and actually, when it comes down to it, when we understand what God has really asked us as moms, it\u2019s actually quite simple.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s loving Jesus; it\u2019s loving our families; it\u2019s being faithful to our children to raise them to know and love God. And all of these tertiary things that, I think, we add on that create that end-of-day guilt are really just extras. If we thought critically for a little while, I think we\u2019d see that so many of those things we can leave at the cross; leave them there and [not] have to worry about them.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes. I think every mom struggles with things that she regrets, moments that she looks back on in her day and thinks, \u201cOoh, I shouldn\u2019t have handled it that way.\u201d And then like Laura said, sometimes there are things that are just expectations we\u2019ve put on ourselves that aren\u2019t from Scripture, that are nice to do, but\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014they could be from social media.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Sure, they could be from social media; they could be from our friends. So, one tool that Laura and I have used is just to say, \u201cYou always want to examine your guilt.\u201d So, no matter what it is, don\u2019t stuff it down or ignore it. That\u2019s what we usually see moms do, is just they live with it\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014yes, push it down.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: \u2014[they] just internalize it deep inside. Don\u2019t live with it! Look at it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Then it becomes normal.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes. It becomes normal.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Like they just wear it like it\u2019s\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Laura: \u2014just that hum of mom guilt is like their friend. It\u2019s wild.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Because when you look at it, there\u2019s always freedom on the other side, because either you\u2019re going to look at it and find out that this is something you actually need to confess and repent, and there\u2019s freedom there. Or you\u2019re going to look at it, and God\u2019s going to give you that wisdom to say, \u201cYou know what? This wasn\u2019t something that I had to do anyway. This is okay. This is something I can let go.\u201d And I can walk in freedom knowing that I don\u2019t have to do the elaborate birthday parties.<\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s really common in motherhood to experience loneliness. It\u2019s also really common to believe that you are all alone, and you\u2019re the only one who understands what you\u2019re going through. No one could possibly get you. At some level, everyone\u2019s life is very unique, so there is some truth to that.<\/p>\n<p>But I also think that, for someone who feels completely and utterly alone, at some level, my encouragement to them would be to say there are people that I think we can find and connect with that, if we perhaps have a broader view of what a friend can look like, and what understanding can look like, and encouragement in the gospel can look like, suddenly friendship can be formed.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also putting yourself in places where you can find friends. Again, in young motherhood oftentimes, we are isolated to our home, or just going to work and back home, and there are not a lot of ways to make connections, or we feel too tired to make that connection, or we feel like it would be too much work to get our kids out; but it is always worth the work.<\/p>\n<p>It may take time. It may take a year or two or more of praying and asking God to give you a friend, but it also means that we have to go into spaces where we can make those friends. The local church, obviously, is a huge place for a young mom to make friends. So many churches have incredible programs designed just for that, because we know that that\u2019s a really hard season for moms. There are a lot of ways if we just say, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m willing to make some effort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But I think what happens very quickly is that we sort of fold in on ourselves, and that\u2019s what Satan wants. He wants us to believe that there\u2019s no one out there that can get us, there\u2019s no one out there that can help us, there\u2019s no one that wants to even be a friend. But there\u2019s another mom out there, I\u2019m sure, that feels just like you, and if we can get you guys to the same spot, hopefully at your local church, there\u2019s a friendship to be had.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And maybe you pull another mom in your neighborhood or at your church and say, \u201cHey, I have this book called Risen Motherhood.\u201d [Laughter] \u201dDo you want to go through it with me?\u201d What a great way to start!<\/p>\n<p>Emily: That would be our hope, for sure. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and you\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler on FamilyLife Today. I just think this conversation today was so relatable. If you\u2019re a mom, the struggle is real, and I hope this time today was kind of like a lifeline for you. If you want to hear more from Emily and Laura, they\u2019ve written a book called Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments.<\/p>\n<p>This really will help you to find guidance and encouragement when you\u2019re trying to navigate the complexities of motherhood in a world filled with confusion and conflicting advice. So, you can get your copy right now by going online to FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re on our website at FamilyLifeToday.com, there\u2019s a little button at the top of the page that says \u201cDonate Now.\u201d We\u2019d love for you to become a partner with us here at FamilyLife and be a part of our community, helping to reach marriages and families all over the world. When you give this month and become a monthly partner, the cool thing that\u2019s happening here in May is that every gift that you give will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000.<\/p>\n<p>So, when you become a monthly partner at $50 a month, it actually becomes $100 a month, just this month. So, again, you can find out more information about how to give at FamilyLifeToday.com, or you can give us a call with your donation at 800-358-6329. Again, that number is 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And another great benefit of becoming a monthly partner is that you get to participate in our new online community and be a part of the conversation that\u2019s happening here at FamilyLife, including a live Facebook event with the Wilsons and me, Shelby Abbott, on June 5th at 7:00 p.m. Again, that\u2019s for monthly partners, and if you want to learn a little bit more about how to give, you can find more details in the show notes at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Now, coming up tomorrow, what are some practical tips for maintaining a healthy marriage while parenting children with disabilities? It\u2019s obviously a complex conversation and topic. Well, Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler are back tomorrow with the Wilsons to talk about just that and provide you with some hope. That\u2019s coming up tomorrow, and we hope you\u2019ll join us.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/280275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280275"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=280275"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=280275"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=280275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}